Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto believes his side are better prepared to face Australia as they return for their first Test series in the country since 2003.

Bangladesh begin their two-Test series in Darwin on Thursday, with the teams meeting for only the fourth time in a Test series. Bangladesh’s famous 20-run victory in Mirpur in 2017 remains their only win against Australia.

“I was talking to the selector, and he was saying that this team is no longer the same as the team 23 years ago. He has that belief in this team,” Shanto said at the pre-match press conference today.

He also refused to read too much into the heavy warm-up defeat, in which Bangladesh were bowled out for 54 in their second innings.

“Such a bad day can happen. I believe that such a day will not come in this Test match,” he said. “That was a preparation phase. From tomorrow, I think a battle begins, and what matters is how well we accept that challenge. Everyone is ready for it.”

Shanto described the long-awaited return as a “very good opportunity”, despite the challenges posed by unfamiliar conditions and Australia’s world-class bowling attack.

“We are very lucky to come again after 23 years. I hope we will play some good cricket; we want to compete,” he said.

Shanto also made clear that Bangladesh’s focus was on competing throughout the Test rather than worrying about how long it might last.

“As players, we always want to play cricket for five days. We want to play good cricket for five days and take it session by session,” he said. “Whether it goes four days, five days or ends in three days, those discussions will always be there. But our goal as players is always to play as well as we can.”